Supperclub Morocco: Mourad’s Loubya

The Supperclub, satisfied, after our feast at Mourad.

Sadly, we ate this dish too quickly to photograph! This is the home cook’s version of the magical beans which are served as one of the side dishes with the La’acha (family meal) at Mourad.  In the restaurant, the feta which is rustically crumbled as a topping in this home version is molecular gastronomically transformed, elevated, into a light as air foam.  The beans, though, are the same.  These beans were one of Heather’s favorites when we dined together at the end of my brief tenure in the kitchen at Mourad.

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Mourad’s Loubya (Corona Beans, Tomato Sauce, Feta)

Adapted from Mourad: New Moroccan, Mourad Lahlou

Beans (can be cooked up to 3d in advance)

Ingredients

8 oz dried corona beans—soaked overnight at room temp with 2 inches water covering

1 lg carrot, peeled and quartered lengthwise

1 celery stalk, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 garlic clove

2 T brown sugar

1 T kosher salt

 

Technique

1. Drain soaked beans and put in Dutch oven, add other ingredients EXCEPT SALT, and cover with 1 ½ inches water.  Bring to simmer on stove.
2. Cover with parchment lid and brush edges with water to prevent curling.
3. Cover with lid and put in 375 oven for 2 to 21/2 hours until tender but not fallig apart. Add salt.

 

Sauce: simmer below for about 1 hour until reduced to 2 ¾ cups; add onions below; can be made 3d in advance

11/2 c (375g) diced canned tomatoes, w juices

¾ cup  (213g) tomato puree

2 ¼ cup water

¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

¼ cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley

1 T sugar

1 T minced garlic

2 tsp kosher salt

1 ½ tsp sweet paprika

1 1/2tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

¾ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne

 

Onions: caramelize for about 15mins, then add balsamic

1 T canola

1 ¾ cups thinly sliced onions

salt

1 tsp balsamic

 

 

Topping

4 oz dry packed feta, Mt Vikos or Redwood Hill, crumbled

1 c bread crumbs

3T evoo

1 ½ tsp dried oregano

 

To finish beans:

1. Heat oven to 400
2. Drain beans, discarding veg and liquid. Stir into tomato sauce.  Spread into a 6 cup gratin dish.
3. Sprinkle feta in an even layer over beans, bake 15-20 mins until melted.
4. Stir together bread crumbs, evoo, oregano and sprinkle over just before serving.

 

Supperclub Morocco: Les Vins

 

Nalin did an exceptional job pairing French wines with our meal, and extensive background as well.  He chose wine from the Rhone valley:

Domaine E. Guigal Hermitage 2010

Domaine Alain Graillot Corzes Hermitage Blanc 2011

Domaine de la Jaufrette Gigondas 2009

and Provence:

Chateau Pradeaux Bandol 2015

Chateau de Pibarnon Bandol 2012

 

Supperclub Morocco: Paula Wolfert’s Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds

Paula Wolfert’s Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds

From The Food of Morocco, Paula Wolfert

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

3 lbs bone in lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch chunks

1 T evoo

2 T unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste w 1 tsp salt

1 T LaKama spice mixture: 1 tsp each ground ginger and turmeric, white pepper; ½ tsp cinnamon; pinch of grated nutmeg [good with fish, lamb, chicken, winter root veg)

2 T saffron water (1/2 tsp saffron crushed in 1 C hot water)

1 lb unpitted large prunes

1 tsp cinnamon

1 T orange flower water

3 T sugar

1 cup blanched whole almonds, toasted

1 T toasted sesame seeds

 

Technique

1. Combine oil and 1T of butter with garlic, spices, saffron water, ½ tsp salt and pinch black pepper in a tagine (or Dutch oven), warm for a few minutes, then add in meat gradually so spice mixture coats all sides.  Add 1 cup water and bring to boil, then lower heat, cover, simmer for 2 ½ hours.
2. Soak prunes in water to cover for 1 hour.
3. After lamb has cooked for 1 hour, remove ¼ cup of the juices to a medium skillet, add drained prunes, cinnamon, orange flower water, sugar and cook slowly to caramelize prunes, about 20 mins.
4. Use slotted spoons to remove prunes, reserving liquid.
5. Add remaining 1T butter to the pan juices and another ¼ cup meat juices, set aside.
6. When lamb is tender, reheat pan sauce and brown chunks of lamb in batches until glazed on all sides, add to prunes.
7. Defat meat juices in the tagine. Add the lamb and prunes and cook over low heat for 30 mins, or until lamb is falling off bone.  Remove bones.
8. Serve in tagine, decorated with almonds and sesame seeds.

 

 

 

Supperclub Morocco: Mourad’s Harira

Chef Mourad Lahlou’s Harira

Recipe adapted from Mourad: New Moroccan, Artisan, 2011.

Serves 6

Ingredients

Spice Mix

Combine the following:

1 ½ tsp salt

½ T ground cumin

½ T ground coriander

½ tsp ground white pepper

¾ tsp sweet paprika

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp saffron threads

Date balls

6 Medjool dates

Extra virgin olive oil

Technique

Remove pit from each date. Cut in ½ lengthwise and then cut each half into 4 strips each. Roll each strip into a ball and keep covered in olive oil.

Lentils

¾ cup green lentils, rinsed

Technique

Place lentils in 3 cups water, bring to a boil and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, rinse and keep in cold water unti ready to use.

Celery Salad

Toss together:

½ bunch celery, diced into 1/8 inch dice (to make ½ cup)

1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T minced flat leaf parsley

sea salt and pepper to taste

Soup

1 cup tomato paste

4 qts plus ½ cup water

1 bunch cilantro (discard tough stems)

½ bunch flat leaf parsley

¾ pounds yellow onions—cut into chunks and processed into a mush in food processor

½ bunch celery, leaves only

3 T all purpose flour

1 cup warm water

1/16 tsp active dry yeast

1 ½ T lemon juice

Technique

1. Put tomato paste and 3 ½ qts water in stockpot over high heat. Whisk, then when boiling, reduce to gentle boil and cook for an hour, or reduced by ¼. (Take off heat if onions not yet ready.)
2. Process together the onion mush, herbs and celery leaves, adding water if necessary, until almost liquefied.
3. Transfer onion/herb mixture to a saucepan and stir in spice mixture. Add remaining 2 ½ cups water and bring to gentle boil over high heat, then simmer for another hour or until reduced by half.
4. Stir reduced onion mixture into the stockpot with tomatoes, simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until reduced by 1/3 to just over 2 quarts.
5. Add cooked lentils and keep soup warm over low heat.
6. Whisk together flour, water and yeast and let sit until foamy, about 10 mins.
7. Add to flour mixture to soup, whisking constantly, then stir from bottom to prevent sticking until soup has thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and lemon juice.
8. To serve, put a spoonful of celery salad on one side of a soup plate and then next to it, 8 date balls. Ladle soup around the celery and date balls so some of the garnishes remain visible. Drizzle some of the celery olive oil and garnish with celery leaves.

Supperclub Morocco: Salade Marocaine, Salade d’Aubergine

Salade Marocaine (Moroccan Tomato Salad)

Adapted from Saveur, 2000.

SERVES 4-6

Ingredients

3 medium ripe tomatoes, or 6 Roma tomatoes (preferred in winter)

Salt

1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 minced seeded green chile

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tbsp. white vinegar

1 tbsp. olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Dice tomatoes and place in a strainer. Sprinkle with salt, toss gently, and allow to drain for 30 minutes.
Combine parsley, green chile, cumin, white vinegar, and olive oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add tomatoes, mix thoroughly, and serve at room temperature

 
Salade d’Aubergine/Zaalouk (Moroccan Roasted Eggplant Salad)

This warm Moroccan Eggplant Salad (Zaalouk) combines cooked eggplant, tomatoes, and classic spices and is enjoyed as a side or alone with lots of bread. The cinnamon is not traditional, but I added it because cinnamon was featured in my favorite version of this at Café la Tolérance, Essaouira, Morocco.

Adapted from Lands & Flavors blog.

Ingredients

1kg or a little over 2 lbs of eggplant

2-3 garlic cloves, crushed

1½ teaspoons sweet paprika

1½ teaspoons cumin

¼ teaspoon (or more) red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups peeled and chopped tomatoes

½ cup water

1 teaspoon sea salt

black pepper, to taste

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon lemon juice

¼ to ½ cup (a large handful) cilantro, chopped

olive oil for roasting the eggplant and for finishing the salad

Technique

Peel the eggplant, leaving a few strips of skin for color and structure, and slice lengthwise into ¼ inch thick slices. Drizzle a large parchment-lined baking sheet with a generous tablespoon of olive oil and arrange the slices evenly. Drizzle another generous Tablespoon of olive oil over the slices, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and roast in a 450°F oven. Roast until the slices are cooked and browned, around 35 minutes. Once they are golden brown, remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes on the counter.
In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic and cook for around 30 seconds. Add the paprika, cumin, cinnamon and hot pepper flakes and bloom the spices in the hot oil for 10 seconds before quickly adding the chopped tomatoes, water, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes.
Now chop the cooked eggplant slices into bite-sized pieces. Add them to the sauté pan, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
The eggplant should now be fully cooked and tender but shouldn’t have disintegrated. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and the chopped cilantro. Give it a taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

Supperclub Morocco: le menu

Supperclub Morocco

Salade Marocaine, Salade Aubergine (Zaalouk), Pita, Olives

Mourad’s Harira

Paula Wolfert’s Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds

Couscous with Brown Butter, Preserved Lemon and Herbs

Mourad’s Loubya (Moroccan Bean Stew)

Dessert: Orange Almond Cake with Lemon Curd Yogurt

Mint tea

 

Spicebox Supperclub: Morocco

Hello Spicebox Supperclub fans! Sorry for the long hiatus.  We haven’t stopped having our supperclubs, but there was a pause in posting, as Linda took some time off to go to culinary school! (You can read my adventures here.).  We’ll catch you up on our culinary adventures.  In the meantime, let’s start with the most recent: Supperclub Morocco!

The inspiration for this meal came from Linda’s recent culinary externship/stage at Mourad, the Michelin-starred Modern Moroccan restaurant in San Francisco.  After that, Peter and Linda took a quick trip to Morocco, which was the most different and intriguing place they’d ever been.  The food has a unique history and flavor profile, which we recreated for our supperclub.  Think spices (coriander, cumin, paprika, saffron and dozens more).  Think flowers (rose, orange blossom).  Think mint.

As with all Spicebox Supperclub events, we began with cocktails.  Three this time! The curry and cardamom comes courtesy of the creative bar at Mourad.  Cheers!

 

Pamplemousse au Maroc (this makes 2 drinks)

4-5 mint leaves muddled in the shaker.

2 oz gin

1/2 oz pomegranate simple syrup

3 oz grapefruit juice

1/4 oz lime juice

Several dashes of orange blossom water

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Garnish: mint leave or rose petal.

 

The “Ilsa Lund” (Ingrid Bergman’ character in Casablanca)

4-5 mint leaves muddled in the shaker.

1 oz vodka

1/2 oz citron vodka

1 oz orange juice

1/2 oz lemon juice

1/2 oz saffron simple syrup (saffron, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, lemon rind, orange rind) (can use more for slightly sweeter and more flavorful)

 

Curry & Cardamom

Bourbon 2oz
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz honey syrup (3:1 honey/hot water)
1/4 oz ginger syrup
3 dashes angustura bitters
1 dash cardamom bitters
Shake well with ice
Then add 1oz sparkling wine

Strain & pour (coupe glass preferred)

Add curry leaf on top

Serve & Enjoy!

 

 

Thanks for coming by! Come back soon!

Up next: the Moroccan feast